- (301) 829-0060
- Mt. Airy, MD
- info@pestshieldinc.com
Pest Shield, Inc. has provided termite treatment and inspection services across Frederick County since 2011, holding Maryland pesticide business license MDA #30263 and certified applicator credential MD Certified #19058. The company’s team brings over 75 years of combined pest management experience, including Jeffrey Allwine — an on-staff entomologist who performs termite protection treatments and whose diagnostic depth is uncommon for a residential pest control company of this size. Pest Shield earned Best of Frederick MD Pest Control in 2021 and carries a 5.0 rating across 338+ reviews on Google and HomeAdvisor.
How it works
Four steps. No surprises. Same answer whether it's your first call or your tenth.
You reach Troy or someone on his team directly. No call center, no dispatcher, no routing.
Same-day or next-day for most calls. Emergency stinging-insect situations and real-estate WDI deadlines get priority.
We identify the species, locate entry points, and find the source — not just the symptom.
Written recommendation, straightforward pricing, no obligation. If you don't need treatment, we'll tell you.
Subterranean termites — specifically Reticulitermes flavipes, the eastern subterranean termite — are the dominant termite species in Central Maryland, and Brunswick’s combination of older housing stock, clay-heavy soils, and proximity to the Potomac River creates conditions that support colony activity year-round. The problem with termites is that visible damage is typically the last sign, not the first. By the time a homeowner notices something wrong, a colony may have been feeding for months or years.
Brunswick’s housing stock adds specific vulnerability. Much of the town’s residential construction dates to the early and mid-20th century — pier-and-beam crawl spaces, older wood framing, and limited or absent soil barriers between structural wood and ground contact. These are the conditions subterranean termites exploit most efficiently. Frederick County’s clay-heavy soils retain moisture and support the underground colony networks that fuel infestations, and Brunswick’s position along the Potomac River corridor means ambient moisture levels are higher than in drier inland communities. What looks like old, inactive damage may still have a live colony behind it — the only way to know is a thorough inspection.
60+ years of combined experience. Tell us what you’re seeing — we’ll come look, no obligation.
Troy came out immediately to look at our house and did find termites, he was very professional, friendly and made us feel very comfortable; he explained everything to us; we had did some comparsion shopping with other companies and didn’t get the comfortable feeling with the other companies, Pest Shield was by far the best, I would recommend Pest Shield to anyone, they are a company that you can trust to have your best interest at heart. Troy was the best.
Linda Allen · July 2014 Read on HomeAdvisor →
Troy seems to genuinely like what he does and to educate his customers. He came to appointment ahead of time, explained things thoroughly, even taking me to crawl space under house to show where termites were entering house. Price was very competitive: price per linear foot was lower than other company and estimator from other company had included perimeter of a shed which, from my understanding, should not have been included because shed has no foundation, so not subject to invasion by termites. Work performed on time and as advertised. As indicated by others, a knowledgeable, competent and honest gentleman.
Otto Louis-Jacques · December 2015 Read on HomeAdvisor →
Troy was a true professional. He accommodated my schedule by coming after hours to do an inspection. I had gotten a “free inspection” from another BIG, WELL-KNOWN company and they had me believing I had live termites. I was suspicious when they didn’t show up for the initial treatment, and more so when I got conflicting information from people at their company. Turns out I didn’t have termites, and Troy was straight up, didn’t try to rip me off with a service I didn’t need. He SAVED me $1400 and I will surely use him in the future if I ever have a pest problem of any kind! Go Pest Shield!
Marion Entwisle · June 2014 Read on HomeAdvisor →
General pest & rodent control
Pest Shield’s termite treatment begins with a thorough inspection of the property — foundation perimeter, crawl space, sill plates, piers, and any areas where soil contacts or approaches structural wood. Troy Yowell conducts the inspection personally, and when the situation warrants it, he takes homeowners through the crawl space to show exactly where termite activity or entry points are occurring. Jeffrey Allwine, Pest Shield’s on-staff entomologist, performs termite protection treatments and provides species-level diagnostic support when field identification isn’t conclusive — a capability that most small residential pest control companies have to outsource. The inspection is free for all new clients.
Treatment is delivered using Termidor® HE, applied as a continuous perimeter treatment around the home’s foundation and into porch slabs and garages where applicable. Termidor HE works through what’s known as the transfer effect: termites cannot detect it, so they move through the treated soil zone, pick up the active ingredient, and carry it back to the colony through normal grooming and feeding behavior. The colony is eradicated from within — not just the foragers that contact the treatment zone. This is why Termidor HE outperforms bait systems in speed and completeness: bait systems depend on termites finding and feeding on a station, then slowly transferring a slower-acting agent; Termidor HE works with the colony’s own biology against it.
| Treatment Detail | What It Means for Your Home |
|---|---|
| One-time application | No recurring treatment visits required — a single perimeter application under the Termite Warranty Plan |
| 90-day colony eradication | The active colony is eliminated within 90 days of treatment through the transfer effect |
| 15+ year residual effects | Termidor HE remains active in the soil for 15 or more years, protecting against new colony establishment |
| 100% effective guarantee | If termites return, Pest Shield returns — at no additional charge |
| Lifetime renewable warranty | The Termite Warranty Plan warranty can be renewed for the life of the home |
When treatment is complete, Troy explains the findings and the treatment in detail — what was applied, where, and what to expect over the following weeks. The Termite Warranty Plan’s lifetime renewable warranty means Brunswick homeowners aren’t starting over if they sell the home or want continued coverage years down the road. Pest Shield’s price per linear foot of foundation perimeter has been documented by customers as competitive with — and often lower than — quotes from larger regional companies, without the upsell pressure those companies typically apply.
Termidor HE is an EPA-registered termiticide applied to the soil around the foundation perimeter, not broadcast inside the home. Once the treated soil has dried, the application area is safe for families and pets. Troy is attentive to landscaping and gardens during treatment — customers have noted his care in maneuvering equipment around newly planted areas.
Owner
Founded Pest Shield in 2011 after years as a pest management contractor on U.S. military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. Around 35 years in pest management. Personally handles or leads the majority of service calls.
Pest Management Specialist
Field technician handling residential and commercial service calls across Frederick, Carroll, and Montgomery counties.
Pest Management Specialist
Field technician handling residential and commercial service calls across the service area.
Our Entomologist
Consulting entomologist on species identification, conducive conditions, and treatment strategy for difficult cases.
Brunswick sits at the western edge of Frederick County along the Potomac River, roughly 20 miles from Pest Shield’s Mt. Airy base — close enough for same-day inspection scheduling. The town is served by US-340 and MD-17, with easy access from surrounding Frederick County communities including Jefferson, Knoxville, and Burkittsville. Pest Shield covers all of Frederick County, including the river corridor communities that see different pest pressure than the county’s drier inland areas.
The Potomac River corridor raises ambient moisture levels that inland Frederick County communities don’t experience to the same degree — and subterranean termites depend on moisture to survive. Brunswick’s historic core includes homes built before modern termite-resistant construction practices, with pier-and-beam crawl spaces and older wood framing that offer direct soil-to-wood contact. The wooded terrain along the C&O Canal and Appalachian Trail access points nearby means termite pressure from adjacent wood-decay environments is a consistent factor for properties on the town’s edges. Homeowners dealing with the full range of pest pressure in this corridor benefit from pest control in Brunswick that addresses both wood-destroying insects and the seasonal pests that accompany high-moisture environments.
The Termite Warranty Plan covers a one-time Termidor HE application with a 100% effective guarantee — if termites return after treatment, Pest Shield comes back at no additional charge. The “lifetime renewable” warranty means the coverage can be renewed for the life of the home, so you’re not locked into a fixed term that expires and leaves you unprotected. It’s not a recurring treatment contract; the Termidor HE application itself provides 15+ year residual protection in the soil, and the warranty backs that up with a standing commitment to address any future activity.
Termidor HE works through what’s called the transfer effect: termites can’t detect it, so they move through the treated soil zone, pick up the active ingredient on their bodies, and carry it back to the colony through grooming and feeding contact. The colony is eliminated from within — not just the foragers that touch the treatment zone. Bait systems work differently: they depend on termites finding a bait station, feeding on a slow-acting agent, and transferring it gradually through the colony. That process is slower and less complete than the transfer effect, particularly for established colonies. Termidor HE’s one-time perimeter application delivers 90-day colony eradication and 15+ years of residual soil protection — bait systems require ongoing monitoring and replenishment to maintain coverage.
Termidor HE is an EPA-registered termiticide applied to the soil around the foundation perimeter — it is not broadcast inside the home. Once the treated soil has dried, the application area is safe for families and pets. Depending on your home’s construction, treatment may involve drilling into concrete slabs at expansion joints or along the foundation edge to ensure complete coverage — Troy explains exactly what the inspection findings require before any work begins. Pest Shield customers have noted Troy’s care in working around gardens and landscaping during treatment; he takes the access route and application process seriously when plantings are nearby.
Old damage and active damage can look nearly identical from the surface — the difference is what’s happening behind it. Active mud tubes are moist and may show live termites when disturbed; old tubes are dry and brittle. Wood with active feeding will often have a papery surface that gives way under light pressure, sometimes with live termites visible inside the galleries. Old damage may be hardened and empty. The honest answer is that distinguishing active from inactive infestation reliably requires a thorough inspection — Pest Shield’s free inspection includes crawl space access when warranted, and Jeffrey Allwine’s entomological background supports species-level identification when field signs are ambiguous. Troy has documented cases where what appeared to be old damage still had an active colony behind it, and cases where alarming-looking damage turned out to be historic and inactive.
Yes — Pest Shield performs wood-destroying insect (WDI) inspections for real estate transactions, including VA home loans, refinances, and pre-sale inspections, and can schedule treatment if findings warrant it. Troy has accommodated tight closing deadlines, scheduling and completing inspections within one day of inquiry for customers facing time-sensitive transactions. If a WDI report identifies active termite activity, the Termite Warranty Plan treatment can follow directly from the inspection findings — the free inspection and the treatment process are designed to work together. Call (301) 829-0060 to discuss timing if you’re working against a closing date.
